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Thursday, September 01, 2011

Consent of the Governed

Some people think that the survival of a democracy becomes questionable or should be questioned if it loses the consent of a substantial majority of the governed.

"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a New Government....it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards? for their future Security."-- Thomas Jefferson

I rather doubt that at this point westerners of any sort could summon the energy to follow Jefferson's advice and redo government, regardless of whether or not the government has the "Consent of the Governed." As a result, I don't think the survival of our government is in danger. However, I do think it's harder for a country to thrive without the "Consent of the governed" (depending a bit on the exact definition of "consent").

A recent Gallup poll finds that 84% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing and I think that approval is a plausible proxy for "consent", or at least close enough that it's worrisome.

The problem is that roughly half of those disapproving think that the government isn't anywhere big enough (i.e. "doing" enough) and that the other half think the government is Way. Too. Big. There is such a wide chasm between the two sides that, as a result, I don't think America will ever again have the consent of the vast majority of the governed.

I'm confident America will survive, at least for a while, but I question whether or not it will thrive.